1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a material holding implement suitable for holding a material such as a container, such as in a container processing process accompanying a filling or capping process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication (JP-A) No. 4-253690 describes a material holding implement having a material holding member made from a shape memory resin enabling a material to be held. The shape memory resin returns to an initial configuration at a temperature higher than a glass transition temperature (normally, a constant temperature about 20 to 60xc2x0 C., and in the case of a material holding implement to be used at a normal temperature, the shape memory resin to be used is of a glass transition temperature about 50 to 60xc2x0 C.) and is freely deformable into a desirable material holding configuration, and at a temperature lower than the glass transition temperature the material holding configuration is fixed to form a material holding region.
However, the related art has the following problems:
(1) when the material holding implement passes a certain high temperature range exceeding a glass transition temperature of shape memory resin at about 50 to 60xc2x0 C., the shape memory resin constituting the material holding member immediately has an initial configuration restored, thereby losing the material holding configuration; and
(2) when the material holding implement is used under a high humidity circumstance, the shape memory resin constituting the material holding member bulges due to moisture absorption and deforms, thereby losing the material holding configuration.
The present invention advantageously provides a material holding implement permitting a long-term stable use, without causing a material holding member to lose a material holding configuration, even in use in certain high-temperature range or under high-humidity circumstances.
The present invention is a material holding implement including material holding member adapted for holding a material, wherein the material holding member is made of a thermoplastic resin. The thermoplastic resin is deformable to a material holding configuration conformable to a desirable material configuration at a temperature higher than a certain temperature, and has a fixed material holding configuration in a using temperature range of lower temperatures than a certain temperature to form a material holding region for applying holding forces on a circumference of the material.